Despite everything going wrong for the Baltimore Orioles in the series finale against the New York Yankees, they still secured a win, thanks to Cedric Mullins. The veteran outfielder hit a double that slipped past Alex Verdugo in left field, scoring Ryan O’Hearn and Adley Rutschman. This was all the Orioles needed to clinch a 6-5 walk-off victory.
No Escapin’ Him pic.twitter.com/hTtCnuQ0zF
— Baltimore Orioles (@Orioles) July 14, 2024
Mullins spoke with reporters postgame about his walk-off hit and what he saw from Verdugo as he ran.
“I hit it hard enough to possibly drop,” Mullins told Roch Kubatko of MASN Sports. “Walltimore over there, pretty tough to beat. Just needed to get over his head. As soon as I saw him take a step in, I figured he had a bad jump on it. I had a feeling he was burned. Sure enough, he was burned and it went over his head.”
Baltimore enters the All-Star break with a 58-38 record and a one-game lead over the Yankees for the AL East lead.
**Craig Kimbrel: ‘I Didn’t Do My Job Today’**
When future Hall of Famer and closer Craig Kimbrel took the mound at the top of the ninth, the Orioles had a 3-2 lead. He proceeded to walk his first two batters before giving up a 405-foot home run to rookie Ben Rice.
Talking with reporters postgame, Kimbrel expressed his disappointment with his performance.
“I didn’t do my job today and the guys had my back and we got a W,” Kimbrel said, according to Kubatko. “It’s huge. It’s extremely lucky. I’ve blown (five saves) and our guys have been able to come back and capitalize and not making it hurt so bad. And I couldn’t be happier.”
The win over New York was Kimbrel’s first appearance since July 7. He wasn’t deployed during Baltimore’s five-game losing streak as those games didn’t hold the leverage required to utilize Kimbrel, who has 440 career saves.
He’s not using that as an excuse.
“I don’t make excuses,” Kimbrel said. “It really doesn’t matter how many days in a row. I still got to go out there and do my job. You can’t lead off an inning with two walks and make a miss-pitch. I didn’t throw it in the location I wanted to and he hit it out. I was able to get the next three outs and the boys battled and we were able to put something special together there at the end.”
**Gunnar Henderson Snaps 8-Game Home Run Drought**
Gunnar Henderson wasn’t part of the Orioles’ ninth-inning rally, striking out before Ryan Mountcastle loaded the bases for Mullins. But the 23-year-old slugger still played a part in the win, hitting his 28th home run of the season, and first since July 4.
“Feel like I tried to stay pretty consistent the whole first half,” Henderson said, according to Kubatko. “A couple things I felt like I can do better, but we’re going to take that into the break and try to have a good second half.”
According to MLB.com’s Sarah Langs, 28 home runs are the most by a shortstop in a team’s first 96 games since Ernie Banks in 1960.
Only Alex Rodriguez ever had more, with 31 in 2002.
Henderson’s home run is a welcome sign for a team that had gone ice cold at the plate in July. It also bodes well for his upcoming performance in the 2024 Home Run Derby, which will take place during the upcoming All-Star break.
